


HS AU

by hito_ritabi



Series: NTN [29]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-24 00:20:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20349238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hito_ritabi/pseuds/hito_ritabi
Summary: such an original name, I know...





	1. Chapter 1

Crow took his bike to school, pedalling casually through the streets, up the hill and around the corner. Nothing exciting ever happened. It was an out of the way route to take to school, but it had it's plus-side anyhow. Stopping just past the corner, his breaks squeaking as he came to a halt, he peered into the small courtyard styled garden.

It'd been a few years since they demolished an old soup store that never made any business and the land was repurposed by the city to turn it into a garden, of sorts. There was a wide concrete path that wove through to wood-replacement benches, curved to be comfortable for your butt to sit in. During the afternoon the place was full of mom's and kids playing on the lush grass underneath the wide array of peach trees. There were a few small concrete divisions built up that had flowering perennials in them, a beautiful burgundy color. Other than that, people just passed through; jogging, walking to work. But there was a certain young man in the mornings who'd be sitting down on the same bench every morning. He had dusty pink hair the color of a rose and beautiful tan skin. He looked like he was Crow's age, but they'd never seen each other at school before. He always sat reading a book, every few days it'd be a new one, quietly turning the pages as the world went by around him.

Crow took notice of him one time many months ago when he was exploring different options to travel to school. He'd been reading a fairly thick book that day. It was raining, and yet there he sat with an umbrella propped over his shoulder so he could still read, his knees getting damp as his feet curled under the bench.

Somehow, it'd become Crow's favorite hobby: to take this out of the way path to school, stopping buy to see the young man reading. In his mind, he'd named the boy 'Rose', for his hair color … But the problem was that Crow never knew how to strike up a conversation with the boy. He'd always be reading different books, so he must be smart – Crow figured. But they had nothing in common to connect them – Crow wasn't big on reading too much, and this was the only spot – an out of the way garden that no one really went to unless they had to. Except this boy.

Crow started through the garden quietly on his bike, trying to keep a slow speed so he could potentially spot what kind of book it was today. As he got closer he made out a bowl of soup with a slice of grilled fish siting next to it as a side and the large green word 'COOK'. As he passed by, a little bit too close, he was seen by the young man's peripheral vision, and immediately he lifted his eyes from the page to look at Crow.

Their eyes met.

Crow froze, his bike steadily carrying on, taken aback by the vibrancy of the blue eyes staring at him so casually. They were dark and deep like the sea, but vibrant like the sky, a beautiful mix – that Crow could only recall seeing in his own eyes.

Once Crow was a few feet past the young man, he easily turned his gaze back to the page and resumed reading. Crow slowly turned his face forward to look ahead, aiming his front wheel left to curve around the path and around on his usual way out.

It was a harmless gaze. Crow's little one-way fascination with this young man. He didn't expect anything of it, ever.

As he reached the end of the courtyard, he turned back to steal one last glance of the day at the young man. He immediately looked away, seeing the young man's face was lifted from the page, starring directly at him. Terrified he'd done something weird by looking at the young man, Crow jerked his leg onto the pedal and proceeded out quickly, starting back on his trip to school for the day.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting at his desk in the middle of the classroom, Crow still felt awkward and embarrassed. _I didn't do anything wrong – really – just watching. _He thought to himself. His eyes lazily scanned about to his right, looking around at his classmates as they sat on desks or stood around talking to each other about the weekend. Mondays were always like this: loud and louder in the mornings.

_It makes me wish I could go back to that courtyard. It was so quiet. _He dreamed in a lazy manner, looking around to his other side at his classmates. _Huh. He looked my age, so why was he not getting ready for school?_

“Let's begin. Roll call.” came the female instructor's voice as she straightened up from her desk. Crow looked over to the clock on the wall, noting the start of class: eight o'clock on the dot.

_She's always so prompt._ He snickered in his mind, only curling his lips outwardly.

Class began and nothing else was unique or out of place. A regular day. A regular lunch break, a regular set of afternoon classes, and then school was over just before three.

As Crow stood outside unlocking his bike, he grumbled a bit to himself. _I wonder if that means I can't go to the courtyard again. What if … he's not even there tomorrow? Will it be _my_ fault?_ Worried and confused, Crow took the opportunity to go to the courtyard on his way home.

It was entirely as he expected – parents and kids playing, chatting, a few people milling about as they pass through without a care. As Crow entered, he got off his bike and started to walk it through, glancing around to the buildings surrounding it – hoping for a clue.

In one direction there was a family eat-in restaurant, followed by a flower shop. Another way led to a four-story building of offices, the bottom floor an open sandwich shop split down the middle, sharing with a kid's toy shop. Toward the hill was a daycare center, next to it an early education class with private tutoring on the higher floors, going up five-stories. The last area, as Crow went past it, was a plain building selling kid's toys, games, and books. He peeked in the window thoughtlessly as he passed, noticing a seating area.

_Huh, maybe this is where he gets his books?_ Crow wondered, continuing on.

He headed home perplexed, but not depressed. He did part of his homework, then settled down to sleep. Tuesdays were a quiet day.

The morning was cold and dank. The warm sun from the day before was covered up by overcast clouds, hung in a cool mist that made the air damp, but not too cold. Crow got on his bike and started down his usual route – heading toward the courtyard. As he turned on the hill, he wondered to himself, _I hope I didn't make him uncomfortable that he doesn't come back._

That thought was washed away instantly as Crow spotted the pink hair, sitting at the usual bench. Taking consideration as usual, Crow started slowly through the courtyard. As he got closer, he noticed the young man wasn't reading today – he had a book, but it was on his lap with his hands folded ontop of it, holding it open. The young man had apparently been reading it, but for some reason stopped to take a long pause.

Crow pursed his lips, a sense of fear washing over him. He looked ahead, trying to avoid staring at the young man as he started past.

“Uhm,” came a new voice to Crow's ears. It was soft, sounded curious, but not invasive, and it was clearly male. “Excuse me?” It went on, a little louder.

Crow stopped, bracing his foot down, looking up in the direction of the voice. His eyes went wide when he met the young man's vibrant sapphire eyes. _It was him – his voice._ Crow's thoughts froze, unable to think of anything to say. What kind of attitude should he have?


End file.
